In motor vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, the driver must actuate the brakes in order to prevent a creeping of the motor vehicle when the vehicle is at standstill and a gear is engaged. This situation is present because of the torque converter. This leads to the situation that the drive unit of the motor vehicle must maintain its idle rpm in opposition to a brake torque of the torque converter. This, in turn, means that for a motor vehicle at standstill and with a gear engaged, the motor must operate at a higher load than would be necessary in the neutral position with the force connection interrupted. For the case where the drive unit is an internal combustion engine, an unnecessarily high consumption of fuel for a motor vehicle at standstill results because of the foregoing.